Aegina

Aegina is an Island south of Salamis and Athens, that for many years constituted the most important commercial power in Greece, rivalled only by Corinth. Aegina was a supporter of Sparta and a part of the Peloponesian League

As Athens grew in strength and became an important marine power in the beginning of the 5th century BCE, Aegina initiated a war against it over the control of the island of Salamis, the war continued for 3 decades with the eventual victory of the Athenians. Aegina was forced to enter the Delian League.

In the compromise settelment between Athens and Sparta afer the First Peloponesian War, Sparta gave up all claims to Aegina and the Island became a full member of the Athenian Arche (aka the Athenian Empire), in the condition that Athens would not change the internal government of the island from aristocratic to democratic.

During the Second Peloponesian War Aegina rebelled successfully against Athens and joined the Spartan side.

Αιγινα

The daughter of the river god Asopus. She was loved by Zeus and abducted by him. Her father travelled all over Greece, hunting for her and he discovered the truth through Sisyphus who wished to have a spring on his acropolis at Corinth. Asopus gave him the Spring of Pirene as a reward but Sisyphus later paid for this treachery in the Underworld. When Asopus returned to his original bed Zeus struck him with lightning and later still, lumps of coal could be found in the bed of the Asopus. Zeus took Aegina away to the island of Oenone and fathered a son (see Aeacus and Table 30). The island subsequently took her name. Later Aegine went to Thessaly, where she married Actor and gave birth to another son, Menoetius, who was to be the father of Patroclus.

{E2 DICTIONARY OF CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY}

Table of Sources:
- Paus. 2, 5, 1
- Apollod. Bibl. 1, 9, 3; 3, 12, 6
- Pind. Isth. 7, 15 (21); Ol. 9, 67ff. (104ff.) with schol. on 104
- Hdt. 5, 80
- Hyg. Fab. 52; 115
- Ovid, Met. 6, 113